Distillery @ Design Before Time

I am an idiot and recently re-re-re-installed Android 4.3.1 (JellyBean) on my HP Touchpad. This post explains what I did and why. This post is for someone who has technical aptitude but isn’t an expert on tablets and custom ROMs etc.  I will refer you to other posts online when they explain what you need […]

If you have Windows Vista, 7, or 8, you have robocopy.  Robocopy replaces xcopy found in older versions of Windows and adds several new features.  It is similar to rsync for Unix. If you need to regularly synchronize files between folders, Robocopy is perfect.  Like rsync, it only copies changed files, so once you create […]

Your kids and their friends want to play Minecraft together in their own world without strangers. Here’s what you do. Install – Choose a computer to run the server.  I don’t recommend running the server on the same computer as the Minecraft client. – Just like with the Minecraft client, you need the latest version […]

Setting up a WordPress blog with Google Analytics and Adsense This post assumes you have a web hosting account and know how to administer the account, install packages, etc. Setting up WordPress: Download WordPress package, zip or tarball, from http://wordpress.org/download/ Install WordPress on your web host. The WordPress guide (on that page) is good. Set […]

Future Work Obviously I need to integrate the control boxes better, but I have no immediate plans to do so. I can’t decide if I want to keep the boxes and make them blend better, or just build a new control panel and transfer the parts… I also want to figure out how to put […]

Cosmetics First, I painted the monitor housing and speakers black. I removed the case entirely from the monitor. On the speakers I just masked off parts I didn’t want to paint. I used gloss black spray paint designed for plastic. I used a couple of different brands (on accident) and it worked equally well on […]

Power and Volume Control I bought a “replacement power cord” that goes from the wall to some bare wires. I suppose one could cut up a regular extension cord for the same purpose but this was cheaper. This cord goes to an electrical box in the lower part of the cabinet that houses a dual […]

Fitting in the PC Just after getting the cabinet, I found a used 21″ SVGA monitor to contribute to the project. I put a shelf in the cabinet–I think I just reused the one the previous owner used for the TV. The PC sits on a shelf in the cabinet while the power strip and […]

Previously I built a set of arcade controls for playing arcade games on my PC. I intended to use them in front of a TV and so I hooked my PC up to the TV and stereo. I quickly realized this setup was uncomfortable on the floor and on the coffee table. Next I moved […]

Wiring took a LONG TIME. I cut and stripped a bunch of wires, then attached spade connectors to them (to connect to the terminals on the microswitches). The KE72-T didn’t come with a cable to attach the mouse buttons, so I made my own from crimp-fit female connectors and hot glue. I connected player 2′s […]